ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday all Muslim nations should work together
to defend the rights of Palestinians following Donald Trump's decision
last week to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Rouhani, attending an emergency meeting of Muslim leaders, said the U.S.
president's move showed the United States lacked any respect for the
legitimate rights of the Palestinian nation.

"Iran is ready to cooperate with all Muslim countries without any
precondition to defend the legitimate rights of Palestinians," Rouhani
told the gathering in the Turkish city Istanbul.

"Unity among Muslim countries is very important and Quds (Jerusalem)
should become our top priority."

Opposition to Israel and support for the Palestinian cause have been
central to Iran's foreign policy since the Islamic revolution of 1979
that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah.

Iran, the leading Shi'ite Muslim power, and Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia
are competing for influence in the Middle East, where they support rival
groups in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

Tehran and Riyadh see each other as the paramount threat to regional
peace and stability.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic relations with Iran in 2016 after Iranian
protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and the city of
Mashhad following Riyadh’s execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani delivers remarks at a news
conference during the United Nations General Assembly in New York
City, U.S. September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith

Rouhani said Muslim countries should resolve their disputes through
dialogue and he also accused Israel of planting seeds of tension
across the Middle East.

On his Twitter account, Rouhani said Trump's move to recognize
Jerusalem as Israel's capital showed that Washington was not "an
honest mediator and never will be", adding that it only wanted to
"secure the interests of the Zionists".

Iran does not recognize Israel and regards Palestine as comprising
all of the holy land, including Israeli territory.

Iranian leaders have repeatedly called for the destruction of
Israel. Tehran backs several militant Islamist groups in their fight
against Israel.